La Barceloneta (Catalan pronunciation: [lə βəɾsəluˈnɛtə]) is a neighborhood in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The neighborhood was constructed during the 18th century for the residents of the Ribera neighborhood who had been displaced by the construction of the Ciutadella of Barcelona. The neighborhood is roughly triangular, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the Moll d'Espanya of Port Vell, and the El Born neighborhood. This neighborhood even has its own flag. The neighborhood is serviced by its own stop on the Barcelona Metro line 4. This is a good starting point for whatever itinerary there may be to adventure through La Barceloneta. The yellow line, L4, which is the metro line that stops at La Barceloneta, is the most popular for pickpocketing. The neighborhood can also be discovered by taking Las Gorondrinas,[1] which leave from the front port of the Columbus monument. This way the marine strip can be discovered, but the real charm of this neighborhood is by getting lost in the side streets or alleyways. Torre Sant Sebastià is the terminus of the Port Vell Aerial Tramway; opened in 1931, it connects La Barceloneta with Montjuïc across Port Vell.

La Barceloneta is known for its sandy beach (which made an appearance in Don Quixote, book 2) and its many restaurants and nightclubs along the boardwalk. Over the past several years the quality of the sand on the beach has become a source of continued controversy. In February 2008, the World Health Organization began an inquiry designed to ascertain whether the sand meets WHO beach health and safety guidelines.

With its modernity, La Barceloneta continues to inhabit the scent of salt and marine life. For many, this is considered a luxury. La Barceloneta also attracts many cruise ships to dock.[1]

Amongst the attractions on Barceloneta's beach are German artist Rebecca Horn's "Homenatge a la Barceloneta" monument, and, where the beach gives way to the Port Olímpic, Frank Gehry's modern "Peix d'Or" sculpture.[2]

In the center of the neighborhood, there is a small museum, called "Casa de la Barceloneta", which is housed in a preserved building dating back to 1761. Admission to the museum serves as an insight into the evolution of the neighborhood and its history. The house has a stone façade with letters and number engraved that are inscriptions of the plots used in construction.[3]

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La Barceloneta was practically an uninhabited zone until the mid 18th century. Fishermen were the first to frequent this part of Barcelona even though the sea conditions were very precarious. In 1754, construction of the first houses began, and the neighborhood began to become filled with residents who took part in activities of the port.[1]

The neighborhood of La Barceloneta was designed by an engineer named Juan Martín Cermeño.[3] The famous markets located in La Barceloneta were designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Rovira i Trias in 1873. He had an urban plan for the future of Barcelona architecture which won the 1859 municipal contest by city council's decree, but the central government in Madrid favored the plan of Ildefons Cerdà. Rovira and his work were soon forgotten and lost in history, until a book was published about his style of urban planning and the other works he was responsible for, like the numerous markets in La Barceloneta.

In the present day, in the building of Palau de Mar on the Passeig de Joan de Borbó, exists the History Museum of Catalonia. This museum contains a permanent exhibit about the history of Catalonia up until its industrialization, the era of dictatorship, or the present day democracy. Additionally, the terrace of their cafeteria has an excellent view of the neighborhood and the port.[1]

In close distance to the History Museum of Catalonia resides the Clock Tower. This is an example of some of the ancient constructions in the neighborhood. It was constructed in 1772 within the Fishermen's Wharf and worked as the lighthouse port up until the mid 19th century. When the port was modernized, the use for the lighthouse became obsolete. To maintain its base, the tower was transformed into a clock in the mid 19th century. This clock tower was one of the materials used by scientist Pierre Méchain as he measured the length of the meridian arc between Barcelona and Dunkirk in 1791, which led to the creation of the decimal metric system.[4]

La Llotja, another building found in La Barceloneta neighborhood, is a neoclassical building with a Gothic interior built in the 14th century. Inside the two story building remains magnificent examples of medieval works and neoclassical sculptures. In 1775, la Llotja became involved with the Real Academia, a school associated with the industrial arts and other visual arts. At that time, the school was named la Escuela Gratuita de Diseño and was located on the highest floor of la Llotja. It was not until 1928 that it renamed itself the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Jorge, and in 1989 converted its name into Catalan: Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi (English: Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Saint George).[5]

The Carmen Amaya Fountain is another historical landmark placed within La Barceloneta in 1959. It is located where Carrer Sant Carles joins the beach. It was constructed as tribute for the famous flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, who was born in a Gypsy settlement in La Barceloneta in 1913. The fountain itself portrays two guitarists and three flamenco dancers in the nude. It represents the uneasy past that La Barceloneta endured when it was populated by gypsies, fishermen, and full of shacks. In the 1970s, the shacks were dismantled, but the memories did not disappear. It was almost soon forgotten after the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.[6]

In the present day, the neighborhood of La Barceloneta continues to be perceived as foreign to the city of which it is located. However, the environment has changed dramatically, and with that, especially in the summer, for when the beach is most popular. From day to night, the beach of La Barceloneta is the most animated of all of Barcelona. La Barceloneta is home to a number of small bars or clubs, where one can eat dinner or order a drink until the wee hours of the early morning.[1] Upon arrival to the beach, the environment and atmosphere of La Barceloneta changes. Today, the cosmopolitan neighborhood reaches its maximum entertainment factor in the summer.

La Barceloneta is considered one of the best places to try fresh fish or paella in Barcelona. A great selection of tapas are also offered off any menu. The most typical of the tapas of La Barceloneta would be called the "bomba."[1] It is a ball of potatoes filled with meat and the selection of spicy sauce or the classic aioli. A "caña,"[1] a glass of beer from a barrel, is always served as well. Towards the beach, one might come across balconies with clothes hanging to dry, all types of shops, wineries, bars, and restaurants.

La Barceloneta also homes a large Aquarium. This aquarium is said to be the biggest of Europe where one can discover an infinite quantity of marine life of the Mediterranean Sea. The space composes of 20 large tanks and a transparent tunnel by which one can pass through sharks.[1]

Barcelona

Barcelona is a city in Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the Province of Barcelona and is home to around 4.8 million people, making it the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan. It is one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres high.

Montjuïc

Ciutat Vella

Ciutat Vella is a district of Barcelona, numbered District 1. The name means "old city" in Catalan and refers to the oldest neighborhoods in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Ciutat Vella is nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the neighborhood called l'Eixample. It is considered the centre of the city; the Plaça Catalunya is one of the most popular meeting points in all of Catalonia.

Barceloneta, Puerto Rico

Barceloneta is a municipality in Puerto Rico and is located in the north region, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Florida, east of Arecibo and west of Manati. Barceloneta is spread over 3 wards and Barceloneta Pueblo. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Palafrugell

Palafrugell is a municipality in the Mediterranean Costa Brava, located near Palamós in the comarca of Baix Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. With 22,365 inhabitants it is the largest city of its comarca. Several coastal and interior towns belong to this city.

Port of Barcelona

The Port of Barcelona has a 2000-year history and great contemporary commercial importance as one of Europe's ports in the Mediterranean, as well as Catalonia's largest port, tying with Tarragona. It is also Spain's third and Europe's ninth largest container port, with a trade volume of 2.57 million TEUs in 2008. The port is managed by the Port Authority of Barcelona. Its 7.86 km2 (3 sq mi) are divided into three zones: Port Vell, the commercial/industrial port, and the logistics port. The port is undergoing an enlargement that will double its size by diverting the mouth of the Llobregat River 2 km (1.2 mi) to the south and slightly pushing back the Llobregat Delta Nature Reserve.

L'Ametlla de Mar

L'Ametlla de Mar, also called la Cala, is a municipality within the comarca of Baix Ebre, situated in the coastal region between the "Cap de Terme" and the "barranc de l'Àliga". It is limited to the south by the boundary with El Perelló, to the north-west with that of Tivissa, the Ebro riviera, and to the north-east with that of Vandellós and l'Hospitalet de l'Infant,

El Prat de Llobregat

El Prat de Llobregat, commonly known as El Prat[əl ˈpɾat], is a municipality in the comarca of Baix Llobregat in
Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the delta of the Llobregat river on the right bank, bordering the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between Barcelona and Viladecans. More than a quarter of the area of the municipality is occupied by Barcelona–El Prat Airport. Apart from the transport links to the airport, the town of El Prat is served by a railway station on the coast line from Barcelona to Valencia. The municipality also has a beach and a small nature reserve at the Llac (Lake) de la Ricarda i del Remolar. El Prat is famous for its blue-legged chickens. El Prat forms part of the metropolitan area of Barcelona.

Passeig de Lluís Companys, Barcelona

Passeig de Lluís Companys is a promenade in the Ciutat Vella and Eixample districts of Barcelona, Spain, and can be seen as an extension of Passeig de Sant Joan. It was named after President Lluís Companys, who was executed in 1940. It starts in Arc de Triomf and ends in Parc de la Ciutadella, on Carrer de Pujades.

List of markets in Barcelona

The city of Barcelona has a great many neighborhood markets that provide meat, fish, produce, and more on a daily basis, and are still vital to the urban life of the city. Many of the city's historic markets date to the mid-to-late 19th century, as the city was experiencing rapid growth due to the creation of the Eixample. Each neighborhood has at least one market and many have up to 4. Markets in the city are typically large enclosed spaces located centrally in the neighborhoods they serve. The larger markets are arranged into departments depending on the product. In addition, there exist many non-food based markets around the city, such as those that offer art or secondhand goods. The city's oldest markets are located in the Ciutat Vella and Eixample, with newer markets along the fringes of the city. Many of the older markets, such as La Boqueria, not only provide food and goods for their surrounding neighborhoods, but are tourist attractions in their own right, as they provide an essential glimpse into everyday life in the city. The markets are administered under the Mercats Municipals de Barcelona wing of the city's government.

Port Vell

Port Vell is a waterfront harbor in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and part of the Port of Barcelona. It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Before this, it was a run-down area of empty warehouses, railroad yards, and factories. 16 million people visit the complex each year.

Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera

Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera is a neighborhood in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain). It is formed by the former neighborhoods of Sant Pere, Santa Caterina and la Ribera. The southeastern part of this area, just below Carrer de la Princesa, and leading to Barceloneta, is often referred to as "El Born."

La Vila Olímpica del Poblenou

La Vila Olímpica del Poblenou is a neighborhood in the Sant Martí district of Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain). It was constructed in the late 1980s and early 1990s for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games which took place in Barcelona. Its construction was devised by Oriol Bohigas, David Mackay and Albert Puigdomènec as a residential area in the otherwise industrial and working-class district of Poblenou, which underwent regeneration but involved massive expropriation, as well as the destruction of a sizeable portion of the district, including Industrial Revolution factories of architectural value such as Fàbrica Foret. It follows essentially the reticular outline of Eixample and Poblenou, with about 2000 new apartments in the area, owned by the mixed public-private company VOSA.

Port Vell Aerial Tramway

The Port Vell Aerial Tramway is an aerial tramway in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It crosses Port Vell, Barcelona's old harbour, connecting the Montjuïc hill with the seaside suburb of Barceloneta.

Catalunya en Miniatura

Catalunya en Miniatura is miniature park inaugurated in 1983 in Torrelles de Llobregat, 17 km from Barcelona. With 60.000 square meters, 35.000 of them devoted to the scale models, it is one of the largest miniature parks in the world, and the largest of the 14 miniature building exhibitions present in Europe. It displays 147 models of palaces, churches, bridges and other buildings from Catalonia and Mallorca and it includes all the major works by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudí.

Mercat del Born

Mercat del Born is a former public market and one of the most important buildings in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain constructed with iron. Located in the lower and eastern side of the la Ribera neighborhood, it is the largest covered square in all of Europe and marked the start of Modernisme in Catalan architecture.

Sant Sebastià

Sant Sebastià beach is located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. At 1,100 meters, it is the longest in Barcelona. This is a sandy beach in the Barceloneta neighborhood of Ciutat Vella district.

Somorrostro

Somorrostro Beach is one of the beaches in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is located between Hospital del Mar and Marina Street, in the far east area of the Barceloneta neighborhood, in the Ciutat Vella district. It is 522 m (length) and 89 m (width). The Somorrostro name was forgotten and the beach became one of the most popular in the city. It was not until 2010 that Somorrostro beach got its original name back.

Outline of Barcelona

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Barcelona: